Tikkido is Joining the Ultimate Blog Party 2014! #UBP14

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I'm joining the fun over at the Ultimate Blog Party 2014 this year! And I thought I'd write a little bit about me today, as a way of introduction to all my new blogging friends.

I'm always the one behind the camera, so there aren't a whole lot of pictures of me, but I got this one! I made my husband Drew my button monkey until I got a photo I liked. If looking for me in a crowd, look for someone with pink (or purple, or blue) hair. I never dyed my hair strange colors until I turned 30, but I LOVE it. It makes me happy when I'm washing my hands and catch a glimpse of the color. I love being self-employed in a creative field where I can get away with fun stuff like pink hair!

If I had to define myself in just one word, I'd choose "curious." I go nuts if I'm not engaged, learning, reading, creating, figuring things out. I'm a Vassar Girl (English and Anthropology majors) and earned a J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law. And then promptly took the entrepreneurial route, becoming a tiara designer for 13 years before switching over to Tikkido full time. Where I get to be curious and explore anything and everything that catches my interest. Blogging is pretty amazing; the only thing that comes close is the time I spent working at NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday in D.C. Now that was the ultimate in getting paid to be curious.

I love decorating cakes (but not eating them, really--give me salt any day), public radio, old English language and archaeology (I might break out in a recitation of Beowulf in old English at any moment. Truly.), geekery of all sorts....

...travel...

... and Irish dancing! (And, I've learned, Scottish and Breton and Cornish and Welsh and Manx ceili dancing.) I love that my husband likes to dance with me, and REALLY LOVE it when he does it in his Cornish kilt. (Heloooo handsome. I might need a moment.) I love dancing and playing the violin (reasonably) and the harp (poorly). I love that my husband taught himself the Cornish language and I had to learn some to be able to understand our children.

And I love making stuff. All sorts of stuff. (This should not come as a surprise to anyone who has seen my collection of tutorials.) From the little crafty projects you find on this blog to big, crazy undertakings, like building this wood-fired pizza oven. All by myself. While I was pregnant. And had never done masonry before in my life. (I like to say I nest with power tools.)

Oh yeah, and I'm awfully darn proud of these two things I also made, my 10 year old Ainsley, and 4 year old Niamh (say NEEV, it's Irish). And while I love them to bits and pieces and they're featured on the blog a lot, this post was supposed to be a bit about me, and I'm also passionate about being so much more than a mom, not being defined by that role.

So that's a snapshot of me, and a glimpse of what you'll find on Tikkido. A recipe, a craft, a party, a fabulous trip, a tutorial--because above all, I love to learn, and I love to share what I learn with you. Let's explore!